New mass grave discovered in Sinjar

SINJAR — A new mass grave containing the remains of Yazidi victims was discovered Friday morning during road construction in the Siba Sheikh Khidr area of Sinjar district. The discovery marks the 93rd such grave found in the region.

Sinjar, a predominantly Yazidi district in Nineveh governorate, witnessed targeted attacks against the Yazidi population by ISIS fighters in 2014.

“It is with profound sadness that we report the uncovering of another mass grave,” said Khairy Ali, head of the Petrichor Organization for Human Rights. The organization was notified by construction workers who stumbled upon the site.

“We will inform relevant authorities and share coordinates with them to take necessary legal actions,” Ali added.

The discovery serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing effects of the 2014 onslaught against the Yazidi community, with thousands believed to have been abducted and still unaccounted for.

The total number of identified mass graves in Sinjar now stands at 93, with only 55 excavated. Furthermore, of the human remains recovered from graves, only 204 have been identified through DNA testing.

According to reports, over 5,000 Yazidis were killed in 2014, with 360,000 displaced within Iraq and over 100,000 fleeing the country entirely.

The number of bodies buried in the newly identified mass grave remains unknown.